Broken Together
by cheergirlejami
Summary: When Sami comes home to discover EJ with another woman she has to make some difficult decisions concerning her life. Will she and EJ be able to overcome the past hurts they have inflicted upon one another?
1. Chapter 1

**Broken Together**

_Author's note: This is just going to be a short story because I'm so frustrated with the current storyline. I am not anticipating the entire story to be more than four or five chapters and I have so many other fics to complete too but I heard this song by Casting Crowns and as soon as I heard it I immediately thought of EJ and Sami. I know some of you might be thinking if you know the group that they are a Christian group and here I am writing a story in the mature section of Days of our Lives fics using the lyrics of their song as a background, but I listen to a variety of music and this song just struck a chord with me._

_ I've been heartbroken and discouraged by the last few months of what has happened to EJami on the show and I guess this outpouring will show in my writing of this story. While I absolutely hate what is going on between EJ and Sami and for a time I have been wondering if it would even be possible for them to find a way to get past this latest hurdle, this is what my muse encouraged me to write. _

_For those of you who are spoiler free you may want to leave right now before you read any further because I'm basing the opening scene on what has been spoiled to supposedly happen next week. _

_Peace and much love to you all._

_Karen_

**Broken Together**

**Prologue**

_What do you think about when you look at me  
I know we're not the fairy tale you dreamed we'd be  
You wore the veil you walked the aisle you took my hand  
And we dove into a mystery_

Sami stared in disbelief as she witnessed something she never thought she would see. Surely her mind was playing tricks on her, yes that had to be it because while she and EJ had been through some horrible times the one thing she knew in her heart was that he would never ever cheat on her.

She looked down on her left hand and there it was the stunning engagement ring EJ had given her when he had proposed to her last year. They had been through hell and back with one another and finally they had been on the same page for once. She'd at long last confessed the depth of her feelings for him, that EJ DiMera was the man she truly loved.

No more running away from the storm of emotions the man brought out in her, she had stood still, thought about what she had wanted in her life her family be damned and had asked him if it was too late for them. For a moment she had believed it was, that she had pushed him away too many times and he was done, but amazingly he'd pulled her in his arms and they had laughed, cried tears of joy while they kissed.

It had been such a powerful moment for them, but so worth the heartache, recriminations, screams, fights, and all the past regrets because they both knew what they wanted then, they wanted to be together, wanted to build a life together. They were going to be a real family this time, one that had love and laughter overflowing, a place for them and their children to call home.

She dropped the briefcase she had held in her other hand on the floor, she told herself to close her eyes and this apparition would disappear, that EJ wasn't in the shower having sex with another woman. She opened her eyes and much to her chagrin the scene hadn't went away.

She must have made a strangled cry, she wasn't sure of much of anything at the moment but it must have been enough of a racket to cause EJ to step out of the shower, dripping wet his eyes shocked over seeing her there in his bathroom. Hell if she thought he was shocked, she was too when she realized who was actually in there with him.

Abigail Deveraux was standing behind EJ, her eyes filled with terror when she realized Sami had caught them together. This couldn't be right, Abby had been Chad's girlfriend, and she wasn't supposed to be in the freaking shower with her fiancée.

Sami wished she hadn't decided to come back early from her business trip to surprise EJ. She had come back home with a heart full of hope that she and EJ could get back on course, she even was going to give him a wedding date today because she knew she wanted to marry him. This Kristen debacle was something she was going to put behind her. She loved EJ and wanted to be his wife, she was going to ask him to forgive her for being so cold and standoffish to him these past few months.

Of course her grand ideas always blew up in her face and this one was a doozie. She had to get out of here before she went into an all out hissy fit or even worse broke down and cried in front of them both. She just had to get her damn feet to start moving, but it was like looking at a train wreck, something you knew you should look away from, but somehow you just couldn't quite take your eyes off from watching.

What she was sure was only mere seconds playing out it was like everything was happening in slow motion. She saw EJ reach for a towel to wrap around himself and thought she even heard him say her name, but that could have been a mirage right? A twisted fairy tale gone awry.

She was the one EJ loved, he was the one she loved, she repeated over and over to herself as she stumbled out of the bathroom, tripped over her feet in what had used to be their bedroom and somehow she found a way to get out of there before he could catch up with her.

It was a miracle she hadn't fell down the stairs, but somehow she had managed to take the flight of stairs without even realizing her feet ever touched the steps. She ran to the front door, struggled to get it open and then ran like hell to get out of that house.

Once again she was running and this time she wasn't sure she could run far enough to get those images out of her mind. She started the SUV with a trembling hand and pressed her foot to the gas pedal as she spun out of the driveway in a whirlwind.

_Broken Together lyrics by Casting Crowns_


	2. Chapter 2

**Broken Together **

**Chapter 1**

_How I wish we could go back to simpler times  
Before all our scars and all our secrets were in the light  
Now on this hallowed ground we've drawn the battle line  
Will we make it through the night_

"Samantha! Samantha stop!" EJ's voice rose as he shouted for her not to leave the house. Without even thinking he had ran after her only donned in a towel he had quickly grabbed when he had realized she had come home early.

The few extra seconds she had on him along with the surprise of Samantha coming into his bathroom had been enough for her to make a hasty retreat from the mansion. He had rushed down the stairs after her, catching a blur of blonde hair in his vision as she was making her escape.

By the time he got to the front door, she had already gotten in her SUV and was driving haphazardly along the winding driveway that would take her farther away from him. It was surprising he didn't even feel the chill of the air as he helplessly stood in the doorway of the elaborate house he lived in with her watching her go.

"Samantha, come back," this time though his voice was barely above a whisper as her vehicle disappeared from his sight. He slumped up against the doorframe in defeat.

"Master DiMera is everything all right?" Harold asked in a curious manner seeing as he had come upon EJ in such a state of undress looking forlornly out the door for something or someone that apparently wasn't there.

Harold's voice brought EJ back to reality; he was standing there like a fool only dressed in a towel no less. He looked down at himself finally feeling the coldness of the air outside hitting him and turned to face the butler of the DiMera mansion who no doubt saw countless things that were strange and disturbing during his tenure working for the DiMera family.

EJ tightened the towel around him then looked Harold in the eyes shaking his head, "No Harold, everything is terribly wrong."

EJ didn't add anything more to his explanation than those words as he turned away, not even bothering to close the door behind him. The cold wind filling the foyer as he walked back up the stairs, this time more slowly than he had come down them in his chase to catch Samantha before she left the house.

Harold watched EJ walk up the stairs with his head held down. A few moments went by before he went to shut the door after looking out to see if he could see what had brought the man downstairs in such haste in the first place, but he saw nothing. If Mr. DiMera didn't pay him so much to work there he would go find another place of employment because many days it was bordering on the bizarre working for one of the wealthiest families in Salem.

Discretion was an important part of what had kept him working for the DiMera family for years and he knew as he walked off that whatever had happened maybe it was better for him not to know. That way if the police came it helped when they asked him questions of what he had or had not seen.

EJ made it back to his bedroom a lot more slowly than he had ran out of it. He opened the door to his bedroom and immediately went to get some clothes. He was going to need to go find where Samantha had taken off to and the sooner he was dressed the quicker he could leave the mansion.

He dressed quickly with no thought of what he actually put on, his only thoughts were to take one thing at a time, get dressed first and then head out to search for Samantha. He hadn't even thought of the young woman he had left behind when he had rushed out after his fiancée.

"EJ," her voice was small and wavering as it broke through to him as he pulled the dark sweater over his head. He turned slowly to face Abigail who was still undressed, her hair wet and her eyes wide.

"Abigail you need to get dressed," EJ said tiredly as he sat down on his bed to get his shoes on his feet.

He felt her reach out a hand to him as she touched his shoulder, causing him to turn around to face her. Apparently she had not listened to his request since she hadn't made a move to retrieve her cast off clothes. "We need to talk EJ."

"I have to go find Samantha," EJ informed her when it hit him; her nakedness wasn't affecting him in the least now.

"To tell her about us?" she asked in a hopeful voice.

EJ shook his head, "To beg for her forgiveness."

"But now Sami knows so we can be together…"

"I'm engaged to Samantha."

"You were sleeping with me," Abigail's face was forming into a pout.

"I'm in love with Samantha, this was just…" he faltered for a second trying to put a name on what exactly he had been doing with this girl who had been nothing more than a salve to his bruised ego, a temporary distraction to forget the pain of Samantha shutting him out of her life again.

"Just what EJ? What was this for you EJ? Don't you care about me at all?"

EJ looked at her wishing he could tell her it had meant something to him, but it had been nothing more than a physical release the sex had provided for him.

"You love me right?" Abigail asked tearfully as she tried to move closer to him, but EJ automatically backed away from her.

"Having sex doesn't mean you're in love with someone…"

"So you used me?" she stepped back too, her tears starting to flow down her face.

"We used each other," EJ stated flatly. "Nothing more, nothing less…"

"You're mistaken, we do have something, something real," Abby went to get her clothes, putting them on jerkily.

"I'm sorry Abigail, I shouldn't have ever led you on to think this would be anything beyond what we have done and it was wrong."

"You don't know what you are saying! Sami isn't the one you love, you love me!"

"Have I ever said those words to you?"

Abby wouldn't answer him, she knew he hadn't even come close to telling her he loved her, but if she had more time with him she knew he would tell her. She was in love with him and eventually he would be in love with her. EJ just needed to get Sami out of his system. Sami wasn't good for him, but she could be just what he needed. She would love him unconditionally.

She had her clothes on and reached for her coat, "This isn't over EJ, not by a long shot."

"It never should have begun," EJ replied knowing in his gut that this was all a terrible mistake, an enormous error of judgment on his part.

Abby acted like she didn't even hear him as she turned to walk out his bedroom door muttering something under her breath that he couldn't quite make out.

EJ watched Abigail go and it didn't even faze him, he needed to go to the woman he loved and beg for her to understand something he didn't even understand himself. Why had he even slept with Abigail? He wasn't even concerned about the girl leaving even though she was upset and not thinking clearly.

He sighed, what had he done and how would Samantha ever forgive him? He made his way out of the house, thankfully Abigail nowhere in sight. His only priority was making things right with Samantha and he knew it was going to take everything he had in him to come clean with her about why he had ever been so foolish in the first place.

He placed his head on the steering wheel of his car, pausing for a few minutes to gather his thoughts, but it wasn't helping him any. The only way he was going to get things right was to find Samantha.

He hoped when he found her she would let him talk to her.

_Broken Together lyrics by Casting Crowns_


	3. Chapter 3

**Broken Together**

**Chapter 2**

_It's gonna take much more  
Than promises this time  
Only God can change our minds_

Sami felt like she was on autopilot as she drove away from the mansion, it was as if she were oblivious to all of her surroundings. She had no idea of where she should go or what she should do after seeing what she had saw earlier. Really what did you do when you found who you honestly believed to be the love of your life having sex with someone else?

She thought she'd be crying, screaming out obscenities, something, anything, but she hadn't shed a tear. Her mind was racing over what she should do now, but she really didn't have a single clue.

Before she realized it she had pulled up at the Brady Pub, she sat in her SUV for a few minutes, trying to make herself move out of the vehicle, but she couldn't do it. She had to think as to why she might have come here in the first place and then it hit her, she needed to see Eric.

Her twin brother could help her figure out this sordid mess. She didn't trust anyone else enough in her family to tell them the ugly truth. Either they would immediately begin to rail over how despicable the entire DiMera family was or even worse they might pity her.

Pity would be worse than anything and the one thing she wouldn't be able to stand. She slowly made her way to the front door of the pub praying she wouldn't come across anyone right now. She wasn't sure of how she looked and if someone started to question her she might just fall apart.

She had to keep it together, she was Sami Brady and she had braved worse things than this, but at the moment she was trying to see what she could equate to this terrible feeling residing in her heart. This must be what a truly broken heart felt like and if she stopped moving she was sure it would drown her with despair.

Luckily the pub was deserted, she guessed the lull between lunch and supper was going on and she breathed a sigh of relief. Now all she had to do was go up to the room Eric was staying in and talk it out with him. Eric always could see things she failed to realize or more than likely didn't want to see.

She was about to bound up the stairs when she heard her grandmother's voice. "Sami, what are you doing here? I thought you were out of town on business."

Sami turned to face her grandmother, pasted on what she hoped would pass for a smile and looked into the eyes of the matriarch of the Brady family. "Grandma, I was just on my way upstairs to see Eric."

"You won't find him here," Caroline told her as she peered closer into her granddaughter's eyes, something was off with Sami, but it didn't seem like she was going to tell her what was going on with her life at the moment.

"Has Eric gone somewhere for the day?" Sami asked wondering where in the world her brother could be when she really needed to talk with him.

Caroline wiped her hands on her apron and then gave Sami a beaming smile, "You haven't heard the good news yet. Eric's suspension has been lifted and he's back at the rectory. He's reinstated back into the priesthood. He moved back there this morning."

"Wow, that's great," Sami said softly, glad that at least her brother's life might be getting back on track even if hers was going to hell quicker than she could blink.

"It is," Caroline agreed. "So do you want to go have a cup of tea with me and we can catch up with what is going on in your life? It's been so long since you and I have just had a chance to sit and talk with one another."

Sami shook her head, the lie coming out way too easily, "Nothing new for me Grandma, but I really need to see Eric, so if you don't mind I'm going to go over to the rectory. Maybe we can do this another time?"

"Sure honey, you just come by anytime, I'll be here," Caroline pulled Sami into a hug and felt her granddaughter returning the hug tightly, so she patted her on the back too.

The comforting gesture made Sami want to cry, but she held it back. She didn't want her grandmother to worry about her, she was going to be fine. She had to be fine for the kids, her children who didn't deserve to have their lives uprooted again by the chaos that seemed to be commonplace in her life.

"I love you Grandma," Sami kissed her cheek and before Caroline knew it she had turned and walked out the door before she could say another word to her granddaughter.

"Love you too," Caroline said to the closing door. She looked upwards to the ceiling wishing she had Shawn to talk to or rather Shawn to be able to talk to his granddaughter. He had always managed to get Sami to talk when most of them failed. She only hoped whatever was going on with Sami that Eric would be able to help her. She closed her eyes momentarily and offered up a prayer for Sami. She felt better after she had prayed and maybe when Sami felt up to it she would come have tea with her like she had promised.

Something was upsetting Sami, but as to what it might be able to be it was a mystery.

Sami drove to the rectory quickly she had to get to Eric. She hoped he wasn't in meetings because right now she needed him. She made her way into the building going to what had been Eric's office before and she knocked tentatively on the door hoping she would find him alone.

The door opened and there was Eric, dressed in his priestly garb once more, looking happier than she had seen him in months and before he could even get a word to her in greeting she launched herself into his arms, burying her head on his shoulder and then the tears did start to flow.

Eric was startled to say the least, but he held onto his twin sister, listening to incoherent words being muffled as she cried on his shoulder.

The only words he could make out were EJ and something he had done, but Sami was crying so much it was difficult to decipher exactly what she was saying. He reached behind Sami to shut the door to his office so that they could have some privacy and let her cry it out. He knew she'd tell him when she calmed down. Feeling her wracking sobs though he wasn't sure how long that was going to take, but he had all the time in the world for her.

He would always take care of his sister, just like she always tried to take care of him.

They were family and family meant everything.

.

_Broken Together lyrics by Casting Crowns_


	4. Chapter 4

**Broken Together**

**Chapter 3**

_Maybe you and I were never meant to be complete  
Could we just be broken together  
If you can bring your shattered dreams and I'll bring mine  
Could healing still be spoken and save us_

_The only way we'll last forever  
Is broken together_

EJ made a mental list of where Samantha could have gone after she left the mansion. There were various places she could seek refuge, she had family in spades, but as for close friends, he really didn't see her going to Kate even though they had been thick as thieves ever since the Nickgate they had become entangled in by trying to help Gabi Hernandez.

To be honest neither one of them had close friends, they had each other, and that had been enough for EJ. Samantha was all he wanted or it had enough until she had begun to put up walls against him again after Kristen and Brady's failed nuptials.

A nagging voice reminded him if he had only been honest that day, told Samantha the truth when he had found out what dastardly deeds his sister Kristen had been up to things would be different now, but no he had stayed mum. Time after time she had asked him what he knew, she wanted to help her brother Eric who had been targeted by Kristen in her plan to ruin Marlena and he kept evading all her questions, even going so far as to suggest Eric had been a willing participant with Kristen.

Questions now he wished he had answered because things had snowballed into something so monstrous that resulted in the worst possible mistake he could have ever made in their relationship. How had he gotten to the point where he had become involved with a mere girl whom he didn't care about beyond that she had been his younger brother's girlfriend? Correction Chad's ex-girlfriend, although that didn't make what he had done with her any better.

He couldn't think about Chad right now, for all his talk of family loyalty there was no way to justify the road he had taken with Abigail. It was sordid and in hindsight a means to slake his lust wasn't worth it for any amount of physical release he had gotten by having sex with her.

EJ sighed once again Samantha trying to help the Hernandez clan had produced disastrous results for them as a couple. But he couldn't really blame what had happened this afternoon on Samantha. No, his choice to fuck Abigail when she had approached him while he was taking a shower was all on him.

He could have said no to Abigail at the cabin, he could of walked away then, but he'd been so damn lonely. Samantha hadn't even let him kiss her for months, much less anything else intimate, but he should have waited it out. Surely she would have come back around eventually. He had waited years for a chance with her before.

Why hadn't he waited a little bit longer?

He decided to go to the pub, if Samantha would go to anyone it would be Eric and he had been residing at the Brady Pub ever since he had been placed on probationary status. Which wouldn't have even happened if EJ had revealed Kristen's scheme, but he couldn't go back and change it now, could he?

He opened the door to the pub hoping he could get a glimpse of Samantha, but the place was deserted beyond a couple having coffee at one of the tables. No trace of Samantha anywhere in the building and he was about to leave when Caroline's voice called out to him.

"EJ, what are you doing here?"

What was he doing here? Could he tell Samantha's grandmother that he was desperate to find her granddaughter because he had been caught cheating on her and he needed to explain that it was all a horrid error in judgment on his part?

Hell no, that wasn't going to happen. He could only imagine Caroline's ire when she found out the truth. He bet the entire Brady clan would be ready to tar and feather him and what defense could he give them? Nothing that made sense, he'd been stupid and careless and he knew karma was going to come back on him hundredfold.

Then he looked over to the spot in the pub where he had proposed to Samantha and the memories came flooding back to him so quickly of that day it almost knocked him down in their intensity.

_Samantha had been so beautiful that day and her curiosity was certainly peaked "So what did you do, buy out the pub?"_

_He could remember proudly telling her he had and that her grandmother had driven a very hard bargain which Samantha readily agreed with him. He had went on to tell her he could have taken her to Rome, Paris or London, but in the end he wanted to be in a place that had very special meaning for both of them._

_She wasn't sure of why he had wanted to do such a special lunch for them since they had lunch together lots of times now, they would steal a few minutes during the workday even if it was a quick bite of something and sometimes to just talk to one another. _

_Yet she had been intrigued and kept at him over the reason why he had bought out the pub._

_"Do I need an excuse to have lunch with the mother of my children? The most important person in my life?_

_He hadn't fooled her, she stated it felt like they were celebrating something, with the added crystal, special wine and finally he had told her they were celebrating that there was actually an us, they were a couple. He'd went on to tell her he'd never been a very patient man and he launched into a marriage proposal right then and there, gotten down on his knees, opened up the jewelry box with an engagement ring for her and asked her would she do him the great honor of being his wife._

_Her answer hadn't been what he had expected though, she had gasped her surprise over his question, yet still she held off giving him a definitive answer._

_He had been afraid she was saying no, she had told him no before to proposals of marriage, but things had been different between them now, they had both been honest and revealed their feelings for one another and he thought she knew she was the only woman for him. That he loved her with his whole heart._

_She had been afraid he was asking her for all the wrong reasons which had baffled him. He hadn't understood where she was coming from until she explained to him that her life was a mess, it always was a mess, but she didn't want him to feel like she expected him to rescue her._

_His answer must have stunned her because he told her of how he wanted her to be his wife, he loved her. She was a one of a kind woman who was extraordinary. She had brought joy into his life that no one ever had before and he wanted to spend the rest of his life with her._

_She must not have believed his words though because she asked him again of his intent._

_He worried he was a failure when it came to communicating his feelings for her, which she assured him wasn't the case or he hadn't been at that point in time. She'd went on to explain it was her, her insecurities plagued her. She told him of how in the past anytime someone had told her they loved her, they really didn't mean it. They only loved a small part of her, or a part she had pretended to be, or wanted to change her, but they never loved her for who she was and it was difficult for her to believe anyone could feel that way about her otherwise._

_She had begun to tear up and cry and that had been the last thing he had wanted, he had wanted her to be happy. He told her of the peace he had felt that he never knew existed and even when he had said he didn't love her, he had loved her._

EJ felt something tugging on his shirt sleeve, and when he turned his head Caroline was speaking to him, "EJ DiMera, have you gone deaf? I've been trying to talk to you for minutes now."

EJ shook his head, the memory of one of the happiest days of his life when Samantha had finally agreed to be his wife leaving him within an instant. He shook his head, "I apologize Caroline, my thoughts were elsewhere."

Caroline placed her hands on her hips, "Kind of like how my granddaughter's thoughts were earlier. What's going on EJ? Samantha comes in here in search of Eric and I'm guessing you are searching for her."

Nothing much got passed Caroline for all her advanced years, but he couldn't get into it with her now, he needed to find Samantha. "Yes, I am. Is Samantha here?"

"No, she went to St. Luke's," Caroline informed him.

"St Luke's?" EJ raised an eyebrow over Caroline's answer.

"Eric is back there, he was reinstated by Father Timothy early this morning so he's back to doing God's work like he was meant to do all along."

EJ nodded his head, "Of course, that's wonderful news. I must be going. I really need to see Samantha."

"What's wrong EJ?" Caroline asked, but he couldn't tell her what was going on with them.

"Caroline, I have to go, please accept my sincerest apologies," EJ headed out the door in search of Samantha. At least now he knew where she had gone.

Caroline watched him go, much like she had watched Sami leave the pub earlier. She had no clue of what had happened between them, but it must be something bad for them to both be so out of it when they had come by here. She guessed she was going to have to do some extra time in prayer for them tonight. They both looked like they might need it.

EJ got into his car, thinking he had to go explain to Samantha that he had made a terrible mistake because just like his thoughts had went back to the day he had proposed to Samantha, he knew without a doubt she was the only woman he would ever love.

Now he had to convince her that she was still that woman, the woman he loved and hope that somehow he could make her believe it.

**Broken Together lyrics in italics at the beginning of the chapter by Casting Crowns.**

**Proposal flashback taken from Days of Our Lives April 16-17, 2013 show.**


	5. Chapter 5

**Broken Together**

**Chapter 4**

_How it must have been so lonely by myself_  
_We were building kingdoms and chasing dreams and left love behind_  
_I'm praying God will help our broken hearts alive_  
_And we won't give up the fight_

All Eric could do was hug Sami while she cried, he couldn't get much out of her beyond she couldn't believe it was happening to her, but as to what was actually happening to her was still pretty much a mystery. Although he knew it had to be something gone badly between her and EJ.

He had managed to get her to sit down on the couch and let her cry it out, broken sobs that continued on for minutes without her letting up. He just rubbed her back and offered up soothing sounds, murmuring that whatever it was she could tell him and he'd do his best to make it right for her.

She finally began to sniffle and Eric reached over to the table beside them to grab a box of tissues that were there for use in times of crisis for his parishioners. Somehow it was easier to offer out comfort to those instead of his sister because he felt a rage growing inside him that the DiMera's were once again wrecking havoc upon his family.

He would push aside his anger though for Sami, she didn't need a lecture on how the DiMera family had taken advantage of their family. Right now she needed an objective view, not one that was clouded with hurt and distrust of people he couldn't' fathom how they lived their lives by hurting others.

"Come on now where is my Sunny Sami?" Eric asked softly trying to get Sami to respond to him by using one of the childhood nicknames he had used for her when they were growing up. While he had been the more serious of the two of them he had called her that whenever she succumbed to one of her bad moods.

Sami wiped her nose with a tissue and she looked at the table seeing she must have already gone through over half the box already. She finally faced her brother trying to give him a smile, but she couldn't quite make her expression go that far. "That girl is long gone."

"What's going on Sami? You come into my office crying so much I can't even get you to speak. Who has hurt you?"

Sami shrugged her shoulders, "Maybe I've hurt myself, and my choices as of late have been somewhat selfish."

"My twin sister is never selfish," Eric stated with a roll of his eyes hoping to lighten the mood for her even if it were a little bit.

That did bring a wry smile to her face albeit momentarily. "You all told me I was being foolish for choosing to be with EJ, but I thought I knew better."

"What has he done? Has he hurt you physically?" Eric leaned back to study Sami's face.

Sami shook her head, "Oh god no, Eric. EJ and I haven't been in a fight and even though sometimes we may have crossed a line he would never strike me."

Eric felt a bit more reassured, but still EJ had done something and he wanted to know what it was to upset his sister. "Then what exactly has he done to you?"

"It wasn't what he did to me, rather what I caught him doing with someone else," She started only to find the tears coming back, she tried to take a deep breath to stop them from falling again.

"Tell me about it, from the start," Eric coaxed her to open up to him, he wouldn't be able to help her if she kept it all bottled up inside.

"Where to begin," Sami mused and then she began to speak to Eric telling him of when she believed things started to unravel between she and EJ.

*** Broken Together ***

EJ had been in the parking lot of St. Luke's for a while, debating whether or not to go into the building. He saw Sami's SUV parked in a few spaces away from where he had parked his car so he knew she there, but still he hesitated going in to find her.

He had fucked up this time with Samantha more than any other time, literally and figuratively and he could only imagine the fury her brother Eric would have with him, much less the rest of the family after Sami told them what she had discovered. How could he have broken her trust this time?

Trust that had taken so long for them to achieve, something he had thought they might not ever obtain, but they had and his foolish actions had destroyed it within moments. That precious commodity he had fought so hard for them to find.

He could remember the night they had come together after both of them admitting their feelings to one another. The night he had felt hope and the absolute wonderment of being with the woman he had loved for years.

_They had made love and it had been amazing, no hidden agendas or secrets threatening to destroy their happiness. They had just been together showing each other with their bodies what they still couldn't quite completely vocalize with their words until he had heard Samantha admit something that had meant as much to him as words of love to him were from her._

_Lying in each other's arms after hours of making love and he still couldn't go to sleep afraid if he did it would all be a dream that would slip away from him if he fell asleep. He had held onto her, just stroking her arms to reassure himself that she really was there with him._

_She had looked up at him with a soft smile and he had to ask her what she was thinking at that moment in time. What she had told him had surprised him, but in a good way._

_"Well now, I guess it's just like seeing you for the first time. You know, just so different and new."_

_He had replied by telling her, "I cannot tell you how long I have dreamed about us lying in each other's arms."_

_Then she had said it, the words that were firmly entrenched in his heart and memory. "I love you. No, that's not right. I mean, I …I mean, I do. I do love you, but what I should say right now is that I trust you."_

_The smile that had come from those few spoken words had been a balm to his heart unlike no other. "I trust you."_

It hit him hard that he might not ever hear Samantha ever confess anything even remotely like that to him ever again. Why had he been such an idiot?

He had no excuse for having sex with Abigail, the girl with whom he had no more of a connection with beyond her being the love of his younger brother's life and the enormity of how upset Chad would be when he found out the news struck a chord within him as well. He had let Abigail telling him how any woman would want to be with him go to his head; rather both heads, and he'd made a horrible mistake.

He cursed himself inwardly, more than one mistake, several in fact. He'd used Abigail to assuage his physical needs ever since Samantha had cut him off from access to her body. Had the few physical trysts with Abigail that only took off the edge of not having Samantha been worth losing the love of his life?

Hell no, but he had always managed to throw away happiness with both hands with his rash actions and this time he was afraid the damage might be too much for Samantha to forgive him. Then he thought to himself would he ever be able to forgive himself for being the cause that their family wouldn't be together?

If he lost Samantha and their children, it was no fault but his own and he suddenly felt sick. He opened up the door to his car and threw up, his nerves getting the best of him as he pondered how empty his life would be without her and the children.

He felt the sweat break out upon his forehead as he continued to spew out what was left in his stomach, and he heaved until there was nothing left but the bitter bile residue. He finally was able to catch his breath and reached for the open car door to steady himself from falling on the ground.

He had squandered the most precious gift of his family away for lust and it would take a miracle for them to work past this, and that is if Samantha ever spoke to him again which he wasn't sure of at the moment.

Could he make her believe he was sorry, that he wouldn't ever take her love for granted again? Only one way to find out, he had to man up and go into the lion's den so to speak to see her. He wasn't afraid of what Eric might say or do to him. He deserved whatever judgment was sure to be passed down upon him.

Right now the most important thing was to talk to Samantha. He couldn't live without her and he had to make her see it. He was nothing without her and he didn't want to have a life if it was one without her in it.

**Broken Together lyrics in italics at the beginning of the chapter by Casting Crowns**

**Dialogue in italics taken from Days of Our Lives February 4, 2013 show**


	6. Chapter 6

**Broken Together**

**Chapter 5**

EJ cautiously walked down the hallway of the rectory, not wanting to run into any well meaning nuns on his way to Eric's office. Although he probably needed all the prayers he could get, he didn't want anyone to stop him from trying to get to Samantha.

He stood at the door for a minute, trying to summon up the courage to knock on the door. He didn't have to guess if Samantha were inside though, he could hear her voice rather faintly through the door even though it was closed.

"I just don't know what to do Eric."

"You just have to follow your heart Sami. You can't listen to anyone else tell you what you need to do or what you should do because if you ask you'll have more opinions than you can count."

"No doubt all of them telling me what I fool I was to ever believe EJ DiMera could love anyone, much less someone like me."

EJ's felt his heart drop, he hadn't heard Samantha be that hard on herself in ages and it bothered him immensely to realize his actions were going to make her start doubting her self-worth again. Well if he wanted to tell her differently, he was going to have to either knock on the door or just barge into the room before he lost his nerve and left the rectory without even seeing her.

The gentlemanly thing to do would be to knock and wait for Eric to allow him entrance into the room, but as of late he hadn't been too much of a gentleman, plus he was afraid Eric might not let him into to see Samantha. He was about to twist the knob, but his manners kicked in the last second and he hesitantly knocked on the door instead.

He shouldn't have been surprised to see the frown form on Eric's face as soon as he opened the door.

"EJ," Eric stated curtly, no greeting extended to him beyond the stating of his name.

"Eric, I need to see Samantha," EJ began only to have Eric cut him off.

"I wonder why?" Eric asked with more than a hint of sarcasm in his voice.

EJ hated to beg, but he'd do so if it meant seeing her. "Please I have to explain to her…"

"The reason why you are cheating on my sister with another woman, one whom I may add is almost less than half your age?"Eric didn't budge from the doorway.

EJ wanted to punch Eric and was sorely tempted to do so, but that would only make things worse than they already were and really what defense did he have when Eric was only telling the truth?

Then she was there beside her brother, gently pushing him aside so that she could stand by him. "Eric, let EJ into the room."

Eric didn't budge, "Sami, I don't know if this is a good idea right now."

Sami gave a grim smile, "I promise we won't wreck your office. I believe EJ and I can be civil enough to one another."

EJ felt a spark of hope; at least she wanted to talk to him even if she didn't look all that welcoming to him either.

"Sami, are you sure?"

She nodded, "If you don't mind us talking in your office alone. I don't have any weapons on me. Do you EJ?"

At least she still had her sense of humor albeit a very dry one at the moment. EJ shook his head and held up his hands, "No firearms on me either."

Eric sighed, knowing they needed to speak with one another, yet he was also very protective of his sister. He didn't want her to be hurt anymore, but he knew from experience how much everyone needed to be able to explain their side of the story which was a courtesy many people had not extended to him after the Kristen fiasco.

"I'll be right down the hall," Eric said knowing if he didn't let EJ into the room, he'd find another way to see his sister and at least if they were here he was close enough by if she needed him to intervene.

"Not standing outside the door listening," Sami instructed Eric as he stepped aside to allow EJ into the room.

Eric couldn't help but give his sister a small smile, "If I recall correctly that is what you were much better at doing than me when we were growing up."

"Apparently things haven't changed much then," Sami added briefly touching Eric's hand and once again EJ was reminded of the tight knit bond Sami shared with her brother.

"Be kind to one another," was all Eric said before giving them both one last once over and then taking his leave.

Sami gestured with her hand, "Come in and sit down."

"Thank you."

She shut the door behind him and for a moment EJ didn't know what to do because all he wanted was take her in his arms, but he knew she wouldn't allow that to happen.

"I don't know how much you'll be thanking me by the time we finish talking, but maybe it's better to get this over with as soon as possible."

EJ sat down upon the couch, hoping she would do the same, but she perched herself on the table beside it instead of sitting down with him. He looked at her and she quickly glanced away as soon as their eyes met.

"Samantha, I'm so sorry. I never meant to hurt you."

She turned her eyes back to him, "Well you have and while I could rail on you for all of your failings I know that isn't right either because I have my fair share of the blame in this mess too. I guess you want to move on with Abby? Is that why you found me so that we could formally break off our engagement?"

EJ's face registered with shock and instantly he reached for her hand, capturing it within his own before she could pull away, "God no Samantha. I don't want Abigail. I want you."

Sami managed to pull away her hand; she just couldn't take them touching one another after what she had witnessed earlier. "You could have fooled me EJ. You had her in the house with you, in your bathroom having sex. From what little I could see it looked like you were enjoying yourself with her."

"I've made a horrible mistake, I don't care about her."

"I never thought you would cheat on me. The others before you maybe, but not you." She wiped away a tear from her eye before it could fall.

That statement made him feel even worse, now she lumped him into the same category with the men who had not deemed her worthy enough to love.

"I have no excuse, but you have to believe me when I say it's over with her. She was just a distraction, nothing more."

"And that's supposed to make me feel better?" Sami asked with an arch of her brow.

EJ shook his head forlornly. "It never should have started with her."

"How long have you been having sex with her?"

"Samantha I…"

"Will you please just answer my question? I would like to know how long you have been fucking Abby behind my back. Has this been going on for months?"

"No, it just happened."

"Today somehow that slut found her way into the DiMera mansion all on her own and this was the first time?"

EJ shook his head, "Not the first time, but it only happened when you left to go to Chicago on business. Samantha I was so lonely and hurt. You had made it pretty clear that you had no desire to be with me after I had begged you for months to let me back into your heart."

"You mean my bed, don't you? Apparently since I wasn't going to give you any than you found someone who was willing to spread her legs for you."

"I've slept with her three times. I told her it was over, but she kept coming back."

"And of course you had to oblige her right? Once you go DiMera you don't go back? And she's a two for girl. What is she doing a comparison survey on brothers? Seeing which one can fuck better? Maybe I should call Chad up in Boston to see if he'd like to have a go round with me. Then maybe Abby and I can compare notes too."

EJ's answer was swift as this time he pulled Sami over to him on the couch, not allowing her to move away from him. "No!"

"What is it EJ? The thought of me fucking your little brother bother you? What would Chad think of your new fuck buddy? Damn he even took two bullets for you. Guess brotherly love and loyalty just flies out the window when you can get an easy piece of ass."

"Samantha, you don't understand…"

"What don't I understand? What's good for the goose isn't good for the gander? I mean you know I hit an all time low when I shot you in the head and then crawled back into bed with Rafe all within the hour, but I thought you had forgiven me. Was this all payback for me not wanting to have sex with you? Did you feel the need to punish me by sleeping with someone who has babysat our children?"

She tried to pull away from him again, but he wouldn't let her move, "I made a mistake Samantha. I shouldn't have slept with Abigail at all. I see that now."

Sami looked ready to strike him, but she held back and glanced at her engagement ring instead and started to pull it off of her finger, "I guess you want this back."

EJ stopped Sami from taking off the ring. "No, I want to marry you!"

"I thought not trusting you about the Kristen deal was bad enough, now all I can see in my mind is you fucking Abby. Did you like being in charge again? I know I'm not much of one to let a man dominate me, but maybe that is what you need a weak willed girl who will let you do whatever you want to her. I bet she'd do anything you asked of her."

"All I ever wanted was you and I spent years trying to make you see that…"

"EJ, maybe we weren't meant to be after all. Maybe I was just fooling myself thinking I had finally found the man who really did love me for me."

"I do love you although I was tired of jumping through hoops to prove it to you. We were engaged and yet you couldn't even bring yourself to kiss me on New Year's Eve. You've been so cold and distant to me for months."

"So I'm to blame for you deciding to put your dick into Abby? When Kate and Gabi told me you had helped her be quiet and not to go to Hope with her suspicions about what had happened to Nick I never would have thought that you would have to fuck her into keeping quiet. I'll be honest with you, that never even entered into my mind for a second because I thought you loved and respected me enough to never give anyone a second look, much less fuck someone mealy mouth girl like her."

"I fucked up, I made a mistake, but I don't want to lose you Samantha. You are all I have dreamed of, the woman I want to share my life with, for us to raise our family together."

"I wish you had been thinking of our family before you decided a screw was worth more than us. How would you feel if the tables were turned? Would you be all forgiving of me if I were the one fucking someone else behind your back?"

"I'd forgive you for anything and I have forgiven you for things you have done to me."

Sami was quiet for a minute; her anger was spent after hearing those words from EJ. They had done terrible things to one another, things most people would never forgive and yet somehow they had because she had always been drawn back to him regardless. She didn't know what it was, but they never could stay away from one another for long periods of time even when they swore they despised one another.

"EJ what do you want me to do? Forget what I saw?"

"I know you can't forget, but maybe you can forgive me for being so foolish. I swear to you it will never happen again. I want you, only you and if it takes forever I will prove it to you."

"I don't want to uproot the children, I don't EJ."

"Then please don't leave me. I will do whatever you ask of me to make things right again. You and the children are my life."

"EJ, I just don't know what to do. I'm hurt."

"I'm hurt too, but I never stopped loving you. I can't stop loving you even when things are bad and I know right now what I've done tops the cake for being bad. Please give me another chance."

"This would be so simple if I didn't love you. I could just walk away and be done with it, be done with you."

"Can't you see we'll never be done with each other?"

"That's what I am afraid of," Sami began then faltered. "What if we never get this right and we just end up hurting each other and even worse hurting our children in the process?"

"I'm willing to try as many times as we have to make this work, are you? Maybe this time we can communicate with one another better, not run away when we're upset or angry. Just talk even when you or I may not want to hear what we have to say to one another."

"EJ, are you willing to wait on me this time? I know a big part of our problem this time was the lack of intimacy, but right now I just can't even think about being with you in that way."

"I told you I would do anything you want. I'll do whatever it takes Please don't give up on me Samantha."

"Can you give me some time?"

"Are you breaking off our engagement?"

She nodded sadly, "I have to EJ. I can't wear this ring until I know for sure that I'm the only one you want."

"You are," EJ stated wholeheartedly. "You know it's always been you."

"That's what makes it hurt all the more. I'm still not enough."

"You are enough, I was just being an idiot. I won't ever do anything like this ever again."

She slid the ring off her finger, tears in her eyes and gently placed the ring in EJ's hand. "You keep this until the time is right and if you still want to marry me later on, then we'll both know it."

"Are you moving out of the mansion?"

"Do you want me to move out?"

"No, I want you and the children there with me. We are a family."

"I don't want to upset them. They deserve better than what we have given them so far."

"You deserve better too."

"You do too. If I stay it won't be easy."

"Never has been easy with you, but you are so worth it Samantha."

"I want to believe that EJ."

"Can we start over?"

"I...I'll try."

"Will you come home with me?"

She nodded, "I will. Let me tell Eric goodbye."

"Thank you Samantha. I promise I won't let you down again."

"You may regret those words."

EJ shook his head, tears in his eyes and he let them fall. "I'd be lost without you."

"Let's hope you don't have to find out that then."

She slowly got up from the couch and went out the door in search of her brother. EJ was stunned, he couldn't believe Samantha was actually coming back home with him and while he knew it was going to be difficult he was going to prove to her that he was sincere. He loved her and if it took the rest of his days for her to trust him again he would wait. Samantha was worth it all.


End file.
